Lower extremity orthoses devices

A method of preventing plantar flexion comprising:

• providing a lower extremity orthosis comprising;
• a foot engagement portion configured to engage a foot of a patient, the foot engagement portion comprising opposing pliable sidewalls extending from a sole-supporting surface and defining a cavity configured to receive the foot without enclosing the foot, and an elastic member configured to span across an open top of the cavity to bias the opposing sidewalls toward one another when secured, the elastic member being selectively releasable from at least one of the opposing sidewalls;
• and
• an elongated positioning member comprising a foot-underlying portion and a lower leg-underlying portion joined by a curved heel portion sized and shaped to avoid contacting a heel of the patient when the orthosis is worn, the foot-underlying portion being contained within or secured to the foot engagement portion to couple the elongated positioning member to the foot engagement portion,
• wherein the lower leg-underlying portion is configured to selectively and removably couple the lower extremity orthosis to a heel offloading device external to the foot engagement portion via at least one of:
• (i) at least partial insertion of the lower leg-underlying portion into a slot or pocket of the heel offloading device;
• and (ii) engagement between a sleeve disposed around the lower leg-underlying portion and a releasable material on an outer surface of the heel offloading device,
• wherein, when the lower extremity orthosis is coupled to the heel offloading device, the elongated positioning member positions the foot engagement portion to maintain a threshold angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the heel offloading device that is less than 95°, thereby preventing or reducing plantar flexion of the foot while the heel offloading device is used and the lower extremity orthosis is applied to the foot, and
• further wherein a space between the foot engagement portion and the lower leg-underlying portion remains open laterally and anteriorly such that, when the device is worn, the heel of the patient is externally visible and accessible for clinical care through the open cavity and lateral regions of the foot engagement portion;
• and
• securing the lower extremity orthosis device to a lower extremity of the patient to offload the heel of the patient.